Tilting head press



Feb, 7, 1950 a gamma TILTING HEAD PRESS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 9, 1947 AYZQZHa/WZZOZZZ'ZZQ I NVEN TOR V 1 l a ATTORNEYS.

Feh 7, 195 s. BQLLING TILTING HEAD PRESS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 9, 1947 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS,

Feb. 7, 1950 Filed May 9, 1947 s. BOLLJNG TILTING HEAD PRESS 4 SheetsSheet 5 ,iezzxafiifialliry INVENTOR BY 3 I, I o

ATTORNEYS,

Feb. 7, 1950 s. BOLLING 2,496,771 TILTING HEAD PRESS Filed May 9, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 JZewezwZ 30122375 INVEN TOR ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 7, 1 950 UNITED STATES 'AT'ENT F F ICE,

TILTING HEAD PRESS Stewart Bolling, Cleveland, Ohio Application May 9, 1947, Serial No. 746,989

.6. Claims. I

Thi'sinvention relates to la tilting-head molding press, that is designedprimarily for pressure curing or vu-lcanizing sound-reproducing records Irom shellac, rubber; or plastic zbases.

Machines of this type customarily embody the use of upper and lower moldmembers between: which the material to bemol-ded under pressure is received.

In the art, presses of this-type have in general been of. the type embodying a spider construction, and have been exceedingly difficult to cast, and to machine with the required" accuracy. Inthis connection, accuracy ofoperation is an important requisite of such a press, the ultimate aim in construction of such a pressbeing to provide molds which will register perfectly when closing, and which: will remain in full register as pressure is applied thereto.

In hinged head or tilting head presses, the tilting head, which is one of the mold members, has heretofore required, reason of the very nature'of this type of construction a workingor sliding clearance as the locking member of the press, and this has caused movement asthe molds close, preventing the moldsfrom registering perfectly.

An important object of this invention, theretore, is. to provide a tilting. head: molding press wherein the tiltalole locking head embodies a novel construction wherein perfect. register between the mold' members is obtained before the molds begin to close. Additionally, it is animportant obj ect offthe invention to: embody in said. construction, a. means cEor strengthening the locking action by spreading it over a wider area thanhas heretofore been thecase with side frame plates embodied in the press being retained in exact predetermined. relation to each other and to the-locking head,. with full preventive means. afforded in the construction against spreading of the plates whenthelockzis applied. It is a further important objecttovmeet' the. abovev purposes of the invention, and" yet to; head that will :be capable of. locked with unusual ease.

Another important object. of the invention is to provide a side frame: plate construction cooperating with therlocking head, whereby machining of suchplates in construction of prBSSes. can he permitted'in multiple, that is, a group of plates can- !be machined together, rather than separately, as heretofore.

Still another object oftheinvention is to provide .a press of this character in which: a single spring pull-leachis used' withv an equalized cable,

being locked or unprovide a locking inventionas claimed.

" lower ends. of a pair of Referring to the drawings Figure l is a front elevational view of a molding press constructed in. accordance with the invention, a portion oia spring housing embodied in the invention loeing cut away for the purpose of showing the details of the pull back means.

Figure 2 is a top-plan view, there :being a por tion of a clamping bar embodied in the locking head cut away, to-show details [of construction.

Figure 3'is a side-elevational view: of the upper portion of the press, showing the locking-head in open position.

Figure 4 is a similar view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, showing the locking head in locked or closed-position Figure 5 is'an enlarged view or the locking head construction, taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference character 5- designates oppose-d angle members; having openings 6- for toun dation bolts, whereby the press may be securely anchored in proper position. The angle :rnembers 5 are immouably secured by any well-known means'to the opposed sideirame plates 1, that, constitute. the main frame of the press.

As clearly shown. in. plates 7 are erected so as to constitute vertical side supports of the press, and cooperate at their upper ends with the locking means embodied in the invention for locking the tilting upper mold member in. proper position- The side. frame plates,,as will be noted, extend from top to bottom. ofthe press, and are disposed in spaced parallelrelation to each other.

In a construction. herein, the side frame plates. 1. will originally be planed. square. lieved" apparent,v

Such a: construction; as: is. be-

permits: machining with ease;

Figure 1, the side frame an unusually desirable feature in a press of this type.

Through bolts 8, having stud ends 9 of reduced diameter which are received in suitable openings in the side frame plates 1, cooperate with nuts ID to connect the plates securely together near their lower ends.

Immovably mounted between the plates 1 above the bolts 8 is a cylindrical ram casing H, which can be cast integral with mounting plates l2 and I3 and with a down-curved bottom plate 14.

The ram casing H receives for slidable movement therein the movable ram l5. The ram casing l l is itself held immovable relative to the side frame plates 1, as by nuts 16 threaded on studs projecting from the mounting plate [2, while opposed grooves 11 can be formed in the inner faces of the plates 1, receiving the side edges of the mounting plate l3.

A pipe l8, leading to a source of pressure (not shown), admits fluid, air, or the like, under pressure between the lower end of the ram l and the bottom plate 14 of the ram casing, whereby to thrust the ram l5 upwardly in molding operations.

Carried on the upper end of the ram I5 is a moving table l9, having a flat upper surface, this constituting the lower mold member of the press. Table I9 is fixedly secured to the ram l5, as by a weld 20 shown in Figure 5, or the like. Guide members 2| on the corners of the moving table l9 slide on the front and back edges of the plates '1, so that the moving table l9 may be maintained in proper alignment relative to the plates, during the molding operation.

As described above, the moving table l9 carried by ram l5 moves upwardly underpressure, in molding the material received by the press. When, however, the pressure is exhausted, at the completion of the molding operation, means embodied in the invention serve to return the moving table l9 automatically to a normally withdrawn position.

This means comprises hooks 22 secured to the bottom face of the moving table l9, to which are secured both ends of an equalizer cable 23. Cable 23 is extended downwardly from its ends through suitable openings in the ram casing H, which openings are formed in the mounting plates l2 and I3, and in which the cable 23 may freely slide. Below the ram casing H, the cable 23 passes around guide pulleys 24 on opposite sides of the press, these being secured to the inner faces of the plates I by any well-known and suitable means.

Intermediate its ends, and at a central point relative to the space between the plates 1, the cable 23 passes around a slidable plug 25, engaging the lowerv end of a vertically disposed spring 26, contained in spring housing 21, that is fixedly secured at its upper end, as at 28, to the bottom plate 14 of the ram casing l I.

Opposed slots 29 are formed in the housing 21, to provide a sliding clearance for the plug 25 carrying the cable 23. By reason of this construction, it is seen that when the moving table l9 moves upwardly under the application of pressure, the equalizer cable 23 will carry the plug 25 upwardly, compressing the spring 26. When, however, the pressure is relieved, the spring 26 will expand, returning plug 25 to its low position, and automatically ulling back the moving table 19.

I also provide in my invention a tiltable locking head, which has been designated generally by the reference character 36. The body of the head 30 may, as will be apparent, be cast integral, with a flat bottom, constituting an upper mold member 31, side walls 32 the outer surfaces of which engage the inner faces of the plates I adjacent the upper ends of the plates, and a plurality of transverse ribs 33, which serve to reinforce the tilting head 36, and some of which, additionally, comprise bearing members for a locking means, as will hereinafter become apparent.

To the upper surfaces of the opposed side walls 32 are secured spaced parallel clamping bars 34, which span the side walls 32, and which may be connected to the side Walls by means of bolts 35. Under certain conditions, it will be desirable to parallel the upper mold member 3! with the moving table or lower mold member 19, and this can be effected by means of adjusting the locking bars 34 relative to the tilting head 30, by means of the bolts 35, there being compression washers 36 in the form of rubber 0 rings, interposed between the heads of the bolts and the upper surfaces of the clamping or looking bars 34.;

As particularly well shown in Figure 1, the ends of the spaced parallel clamping bars 34 extend beyond the plates 1, and are downwardly flanged as at 31 so as to engage the outer surfaces of the upper ends of the plates, whereby to prevent the plates 1 from spreading under the action of the locking means to be described hereinafter.

As indicated above, the head so is of a hinged or tiltable type, relative to the press proper and the hinge means embodied in the invention are shown in Figures 2 through 41 inclusive. Opposed plates 33 are rigidly mounted on the rear edges of the side walls 32 and from each of these is downwardly extended a hinge arm 33, these being immovable relative to the plates 38 and to the tilting head 30.

At their lower ends, the hinge arms 39 carry circular enlargements 4B, and in these is mounted a hinge pin 4|, open grooves formed in the upper surfaces of opposed brackets 42, that are fixedly connected to, and extend rearwardly from, the side frame plates 1.

Fixedly connected at one end to the circular enlargements 4!] are weight-supporting members 33, that extend rearwardly from said enlargements, and carry depending counter-weights 44 on their other ends, the counter-weights 44 being pivotally hung thereon, as shown at 45. This construction permits the tilting head 30 to be swung open or closed when unlocked, with a minimum of effort on the part of the operator.

Additionally, it may be noted that it would be well within the spirit of the invention, and sufficiently obvious as not to require illustration, that in place of counter-weights 4d, a piston could be secured to the free ends of the members 43, working under pressure in an air cylinder or the like, for the purpose of swinging the tilting head 30 open or closed.

The locking means, cooperating between the tilting head 39 and plates l for the purpose of locking the head in exact immovable position for molding operations, embodies first the formation of opposed slots or recesses 46 that are ground in the outer surfaces of the respective side walls 32 of the tilting head 39, extending from end to end thereof. These receive locking lugs 41 which are formed correspondingly to the slots 46, and extend from end to end thereof. The locking lugs 41 are adapted to swing outwardly having reduced ends carried in from their slots 46 for the purpose of locking the tilting head 30, thisposition being shown particularly in Figure 5, the lugs swinging into opposed angular recesses 48 formed in the inner faces of the plates 1.

As clearly shown in the drawings, the. lower longitudinal edges of the locking lugs 41 are transversely curved, as shown at 49, these curved lower edges being seated in correspondingly depressed lower walls of the slots 46, so that the upper portions of the locking lugs 41 may be swung outwardly out of the slots. As shown at B, the outer surfaces of the locking lugs are ground to provide angular surfaces corresponding to the formation of the recesses 48 .in the plates 7, so as to permit an effective looking grip therewith.

Thus, it is seen that when the locking lugs are swung into the position shown in Figure 5, their upper edges engage the upper walls of the recesses 48 in the side plates 7, while their lower edges remain in engagement with the lower walls of the slots 45 of the tilting head 30. sult, the tilting head 36 is immovably secured in looking relation to the plates 1, and is immovable against upward thrust exerted by the ram I 5. At the same time, the plates '1 are immovably held against lateral spreading by the grip of the flanged ends 31 of the clamping bars 3 3, also carried by the tilting head 30.

Opposed ears 5i extend inwardly toward each ot er from the inner surfaces of the locking lugs are respectively pivotally joined at one end to the ears 5|, and at their other ends are pivotally connected as at 54 to a wheel 55, carried by shaft 56 journaled, as particularly well shown in Figure 4, in adjacent ribs 33. The pivotal connections 54, as observed in Figure 5, are disposed at opposite sides of the axis of the wheel.

The shaft 56 is extended beyond the front end of the tilting head 30, and is there provided with a crank 57, which as shown, may be a hand crank, although obviously, other means can, within the spirit of the invention, be employed to rotate the shaft. Rotation of the shaft 55 in one direction serves to withdraw the locking lugs 41 into the slots 45, unlocking the tilting head 30, while rotation in the opposite direction swings the locking lugs 47 outwardly into locking position.

A latch means is embodied in the invention for the purpose of retaining the wheel 55 in the position to which it is rotated, when moving the locking lugs 47 into fully locking engagement with the plates 1. A hand lever 58 has its lower to the upper mold member 3| of the tilting head 30, the lever being pivotally joined intermediate its ends to one end of a latching arm Ell, which is slidable in suitable openings in the ribs 33, and received as to its other end in an opening 6| formed in the wheel 55. Intermediate its ends, the rod 50 is provided with a coiled spring 52, which is adapted to urge it continually forward, so as to retain the rod Ell in opening 6|. The forward movement of the rod 60 is limited by collar 63 engaging one surface of one of the ribs 33. When the locking lugs 41 are withdrawn into the recesses 46, it is a preliminary operation to so withdrawing them, as will be seen, to first Withdraw rod 6!] from the opening 6!. After the wheel 55 has been turned, the inner end of the rod 60 will simply engage allel planes, adjustment of the upper mold morn-- ber 3| can be permitted by threading of the bolts 35 at the four corners of the tilting head,"

or the threading of any one or more of these bolts.

Once the head is locked, it

is immovable, and the side plates 1 are retained fully against lat-- connection.

What is claimed is: 1. In a tilting head on, with opposed side frame plates, of a head clamping connected to the head engageable with the side frame plates, said bars adapted to prevent lateral spreading of the plates under said thrust.

4. In a frame and tilting head construction for a molding press, side frame plates on the frame, a head hinged at one end to the plates, side walls on the head having opposed slots in their outer surfaces, the side frame plates having opposed recesses in their inner surfaces communicating with the respective slots, locking lugs swingably mounted in the slots, means for simultaneously swinging the lugs into and out of the recesses, the lower portions of the lugs remaining in the slots, means for retaining the lugs in positions to which they are swung into the recesses, and clamping bars adjustably connected to the head, and proportioned for clamping engagement with the side frame plates.

5. In a tilting head molding press, the combination of opposed side frame plates having transversely disposed grooves extending fully across their inner surfaces, a head hinged at one end to the plates for downward swinging into the space therebetween, means on the head engageable with the plates on downward swinging of the head for limiting said downward swinging, elongated lugs extending the length of the respective side walls of the head and having their lower portions pivoted within said side walls, the upper portions of the lugs adapted to be swung into the grooves of the plates, and means carried by the head adapted to swing the lugs simultaneously into and out of the recesses, said lugs adapted to receive thrust exerted upwardly against the head for transmission of said thrust from the opposed side walls of the head to the opposed plates.

6. In a tilting head molding press, the construction as set forth in claim 5, and said means for limiting downward swinging movement of the head comprising clamping bars mounted on the head and having end portions projecting beyond opposite sides of the head to engage the plates on downward swinging of the head, said end portions being formed with downturned end flanges adapted to overlie the outer surfaces of the plates to prevent lateral spreading of the plates.

STEWART BOILING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,628,057 Nitchie May 10, 1927 1,640,949 Loomis Aug. 30, 1927 1,825,616 Schmidt Sept. 29, 1931, 2,105,251 MacMillin Jan. 11, 1938 2,309,460 Lester Jan. 26, 1943 2,371,547 Rosenlund et a1. Mar. 13, 1945 2,431,943 Lund Dec. 2, 1947 

